Christian Rub: Movies & Box Office

Christian Rub (pronounced Rhoob) was an Austrian‑born American character actor whose career spanned the silent era through the early 1950s. Born on April 13, 1886 in Graz, then part of Austria‑Hungary, he was the son of Otto Rub, an actor, and Paula Rub, described as a “stage beauty,” and grew up in a theatrical family that also included his sister Marianne, a radio performer. As a teenager he began performing on stage in Germany, appearing in a French drama at Vienna’s Imperial Theatre at age fifteen and later touring the Tyrolean Alps where he “played everything from very ancient grandpas to very young lovers.” Rub’s early film work began with two‑reel comedies in Hollywood, his first screen appearance being the 1919 picture The Belle of New York. He quickly became a reliable supporting player, appearing in more than one hundred films between 1919 and 1952, often cast as kindly old men, European immigrants, or eccentric villains. Notably, he provided the voice of Geppetto in Disney’s 1940 classic Pinocchio, replacing an earlier actor whose delivery Walt Disney deemed “too harsh.” Despite his gentle on‑screen persona, contemporary accounts record that Rub was outspoken in his admiration for Adolf Hitler during the film’s production, a fact that has colored his legacy. Rub also worked on stage, starring in a Los Angeles production of Grand Hotel in the early 1930s, and lent his voice to numerous MGM, Fox, and Warner Bros. cartoons. His final screen role was the 1952 film Something for the Birds, after which he retired. He died in Santa Barbara, California, on April 14, 1956, just one day after his 70th birthday. Throughout his prolific career Rub appeared in such notable titles as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938), Captains Courageous (1937), and The Great Waltz (1938), often uncredited but indispensable for his character work. His ability to convey warmth and authority in brief appearances made him a favorite among directors of the golden age of Hollywood. In addition to live‑action roles, his vocal talent enriched many animated shorts, where he portrayed kindly elders and paternal figures, contributing to the era’s growing synergy between animation and voice acting. Although his personal life remained largely private, records indicate he never married and left no known children. Rub’s legacy endures primarily through his memorable voice as Geppetto, a role that continues to be celebrated by Disney enthusiasts and animation historians alike.